


AI Age [Yandere Android X Reader]

by YandereFaithfull



Category: yandere - Fandom
Genre: AI, Android, Artificial Intelligence, Blood, F/M, Future, Futuristic, Humanity, Murder, Robots, Survival, barren land, challenge, enslavement, reader - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-02-10 11:34:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 24,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12911073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YandereFaithfull/pseuds/YandereFaithfull
Summary: Everyone knew it was going to happen. But it happened too fast. No-one was ready. But that was 68 years ago exactly. Now it was a nightmare come alive. Humanity was enslaved by androids.





	1. Prolouge

|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|  
|~Your point of view~|  
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|

You were the only one that you knew of who was living off the grid. The programmers noticed it too late. They didn't have enough back up plans. No safety nets. Programmers coded a shut down sequence but they grew aware of it.

Who are they? People may ask.

You may answer by your worse nightmare. Computer programmers would answer by a true masterpiece. Other humans, the sane ones at least, the ones held in enslavement would answer by death. For they were AIs. Artificial Intelligence. Yes. They had finally been coded and created.

They both looked and acted like humans. That wasn't the most dangerous part. The most dangerous part was that they learnt like us and knew everything we did. Soon they started learning more and so were able to rule. It didn't take long for the whole of the human race to be enslaved and forced to work. Not many survived.

Many of the women from sixteen to thirty were kept in a special housing district. That was if they lived up to the standards of healthy people with no mental illness or physical flaws.

The men who were fit and healthy from eighteen to thirty could enter the district at any time and force themselves on any of the women who weren't pregnant.

Yes that is that is what those women were kept for. To keep the human race going. Anybody that is too young, too old or doesn't fit the standards were forced to work either out on the farms or working as slaves for the AIs.

The only reason you weren't in there and off the grid was because of your parents. Your family line helped code the AIs. We'll your granddad did. It took the AIs about 20 years to rise, than another thirty to enslave the race. This isn't counting the eighteen years you've been alive for.

How are you still alive?

Well your family kept hidden. None of us were captured. Your father saved mum and so you were born. But the AIs found them. And so destroyed them. There wasn't even anything left to either scatter or bury. Lucky your grandparents died of old age.

And so why were they your greatest fear and nightmare? 

We'll they know your alive and are currently trying to capture you alive and unharmed for some odd reason. The whole thing was trouble. And the worse thing about it is the fact that you have no-one. None to talk to. No human contact. You can't even go anywhere near the metallic city where most basic human needs are after my last effort. And you can't get close to either the farms or the district as of the AI guards. As soon as one catches even the tiniest hint that your there, you would be caught within seconds. The guards were constantly being replaced by newer, upgraded versions of themselves sending the older AIs into retirement. Well all except one.

The one everyone knew. The one who could never be replaced.

You wished dad was with you. He would usually know what to do. As after your last effort of sneaking into the metallic city, they found traces of you. The security was doubled, updates built and coded at faster rates. Their own coding even became more advance and new types of AIs were built. They did everything possible to stop you from entering and to capture you.

That was another reason as to why you rarely neared the city. They wanted you alive and unhurt. Most likely to torture and kill you in the city centre. To disgrace you. To dishonor you. To shame you. And most of all to destroy you in front of the many people in and around the city who are under their control. A lesson. That was what they would make you. A lesson to the rest of the living, breathing, enslaved humans. A lesson about what happens to someone when they defy orders. 

Orders from who? 

Orders from the AI king himself. The ruler. Arsehole. Whatever they called him. Orders from the one who could...

Never.

Be.

Replaced.

Lucky you hadn't been caught yet.  You owe it to your family to stay alive. 

You remember a family who stayed with us on one of the weeks before your patents died. You were seven at the time. They had a young son around the age of eight if you remembered correctly. He had soft light brown hair, large brown eyes and looked so cute even for your seven year old self. His parents spoke of a village which the AIs didn't know existed which had free people. But the family left quickly and your parents never got the details on where it we. 

The village, you knew was your only chance to stay alive. You were running low on the stash you kept stealing. It was also getting harder and harder to stay hidden.

That village. Whether you like it or not was your last hope.

-Faithfull


	2. Chapter 1

|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|  
|~Your point of view~|  
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|

The air was a dusty brown as the wind picked up dust particals, colouring the air an earth brown colour. You cough into the makeshift mask, the white already a stale brown and getting darker. The coolness on the lower half of your face brought a sense of aliveness in your body as the air was dry and humid. You constantly wipe the glass goggles from the dirt trying to see the area around your hide out. You sigh. The world has became a barren and hostile place for humans to live in. The weather hot and cold at night. The only place which you had red about in the story books your family left behind which held a climate such as this was a dessert.

Small wirl winds spun in circles picking up dirt. Ruins lay by your feet, outlining houses in which people you once knew lived in before they were captured. Stones lay scattered with pieces of wood. You gaze about you, looking for anything which seems suspicious. Nothing seemed out of place. It seemed that everything was how it was the night before. Maybe that was the suspicious thing. The fact that nothing had changed. Maybe this was all a hologram. You freeze. If this was a hologram that means that you would of been captured and on your way to the AI King. You look around yourself, now suspicious of everything.  One of the hunterbots could be out, searching among the rubble, searching in a different form, or maybe just watching you as something you'd recognize as normal. 

Crouching close to the ground, you wipe your goggles once again. Your long (h/c) hair hidden underneath a hooded cape for proteciton against the wind and for being noticed. Only human's hair is of natural colours. It is the AIs whose hair is coloured differently, only due to the fact that humans can no longer get dye and the AI's hair is fake.

Many rouge humans have coloured their hair like an AI's to remain unnoticed but it never did help them, they were usually the first to go due to the fact that they were impersonating an AI.

Nothing seemed too out the ordinary, maybe it was just your mind being paranoid. No unusual sounds were being transferred from the ground and into your ears. It seemed ordinary. But things could appear ordinary but instead be dangerous.

You were running low on supplies and your many bottles of water were running out. You run in the crouch position to the remainder of a wall and start to dig beside it, scooping the dirt away to get to what you buried. There was a brown woven bag buried, tugging the bag out you sit it in the shade of the wall, wiping your goggles once again free of dust. Making sure your back was in the way of the wind, you open the bag up and take the smaller brown backpack out. It looked like the colour of sand but was cold on the inside due to the materials use. You sling it on your back before burying the woolen bag, you needed this if you was to bring items home. You were going to have to take several trips or find another bag as you would be needing a lot more than the bag could possibly carry.

Sighing you stand up again and survey the area, making sure nothing was out of place again. "Time to start my journey." You mutter as you go back to the underground basement of one of the houses. Humans now needed to live underground if they wanted to be safe, that's if they were rouge or off the grid. Wandering inside you grab two of the one litre water bottles, knowing that they'd weigh you down but in the sort of heat outside they would be necessary.

Grabbing a few of your ramen packs you add them to the bag. You needed to stock up for a weeks trek and be prepared if you have to stay away longer in case something happens. You even grab a hand full of bouillon cubes to flavor the ramen with, your parents left overs which were quickly dwindling. You over look the sweet maple syrup bottles knowing that you don't need them unless you needed to sweeten something or my throat got to dry. You pause and grab a bottle of the maple syrup. It may come in hand when dealing with an AI or to use if you run out if water and need to sooth your throat.

Looking around the bare basement you see a small can of hot cocoa, that was always a favourite of yours and judging by how hot it was the water wouldn't take long to warm up, you even grab a couple bags of powdered milk, though you could remember your Father giving you a small square of chocolate when you were younger. He had risked his life inside the metal city to get that chocolate for you.

Grabbing a container of salt, not knowing if you were going to find any meat or not, you leave the container of rice where it is, knowing that there wasn't much left and that it needed to be refilled.

Oh how thankful you are to your parents for leaving notes behind on what food can be stored for a long time and useful things to do with each food. You zip the bag up and buckle the buckles, hoping that nothing would fall out or come unzipped.

Slinging it back onto your back you let out a huff of air feeling it weigh you down a fair bit. You hike it up and leave the basement. Once back out into the hot dusty air you look to the sky as the trapdoors close, you needed to follow the sun when it's rising. That would be the only way you'd know if you was getting close to the Metallic City. You start to follow the sun, leaving the basement and the small ruins behind, you had a long and dangerous trip ahead of you. 

-Faithfull


	3. Chapter 2

|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|  
|~Your point of view~|  
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|

The air was still dry and dusty no matter how much time went by. Broken towns laid scattered across the land. Catching glimpses of the sky above that you hated you felt angered. Dark brown dust covered the sky like heavy fog, blocking out whatever blue may remain. Sometimes when you were lucky you'd be able to see the genuine blue dazzling through patches of uncovered sky. But they was very rare and you'd only seen it twice in your life.

Shaking your head to get back on focus, you pay attention back to the area in front of you. The bag weighing you down in this heat but you didn't care for this had to be done. As worried as you were to what would happen if you were caught, you were also curious about what they would do.

Wiping your goggles for what felt like the millionth time since you headed out, a strange humming noise enters your ears. It sounded like when your mum use to hum songs to ease you to sleep, but this one sounded like a deeper rumble, like an engine humming. Looking around, now alert like a small meerkat, you try to distinguish which direction the humming is coming from. The humming gets louder and louder, the ground even starts to vibrate wig the power of whatever must be traveling.

Your eyes narrow in recognition. You knew this type of AI. They travelled with two large trucks and five bots a truck. They were the hunters. They defended the area and searched for humans.  You were in big trouble if they caught you. Listening carefully you get the sense that they're coming from a head of you, travelling towards you. Looking to your left and right you see nothing that could hide you and so you explode into a full on sprint to your left, hoping to get distant between them and you before you could dig a hide out.

Stopping where you stood, more like tripping over a small hole you remember this spot as your usual hiding spot. Dropping the bag from your shoulders you quickly start grabbing handfuls of dirt and moving it to the side you quickly start to dig, all most acting like a dog you dig it deep enough to hide in when laying down on your stomach flat like a pancake. Building small walls with the dug out dirt, building it high above you, you drag the bag in with you, pressing yourself as close as you can to the ground. Realising that this isn't going to be enough, you start to bury yourself within the dirt, hoping to cover yourself completely in case they suddenly head this way. It was dark when you cover up the last of the open space, laying frozen under the cool dirt.

You breath a sigh of relief as you close your eyes against the blackness outside your goggles and breath through the cloth over your mouth, glad that it was still damp and worked as a somewhat flimsy air cleanser.

Listening intently you start to wonder if they were going to come this way. Well you hoped that they wouldn't due to the fact that if one of their trucks ran over you covered in dirt in a hole,  it would crush you and you'd die instantly. Still listening you don't hear a thing but you knew you couldn't risk it. If you moved before at least some time passed you'd still be at risk of being found. And that could stilled in death. So either way you could die if they head this way or find you, and that's what you don't want to happen.

Some time had passed. It seemed to crawl but as you laid there the time seemed to of went quicker and quicker. Taking a gamble you start uncovering yourself. Rising from the dirt much like a zombie would. Standing still and looking around for anything that could give a tell tale sign that the trucks and AIs went by but nothing stood out. There wasn't any track marks either, let alone your footprints from before.

Taking a gamble that the AIs had left you sling the backpack on to your shoulders once again and fill in the hole before going back to before you ran. It didn't take long to get back on track once you started to recognise certain signs like a certain marking, or stone. Once reaching the spot again you turn and start following the sun once again. It was afternoon and it seemed the wind blowing dust had stopped, meaning that you didn't need to wipe your goggles as much but you were worried about the cloth as it was still covered in dirt and making it hard to get air. Once you stop to make a small camping for the night, you'd go through everything.

The adrenalin rush from before slowly dissolved leaving you thirsty and hungry, reaching into your bag you pull out one of the bottles and take massive mouthfuls until you had quenched the thirst. Putting it back you continue walking, ignoring your grumbling stomach. You knew food would have to wait until you make a camp closer to sunset to hide the flame within the darken orange of the dust. Sighing you shake your head to get thoughts of food away, as if chasing them as far as they can go, and focus on what's around you and the steps your taking.

Knowing that at any minute an AI hunting dog or truck could appear you were constantly tense and unsure with what was going to happen. But you had an upside at being able to improvise in any given situation as to make sure you survived. Against fear and love, survival instincts run at the top of the list for the strongest feelings. No matter what a person could always full down into basically animal needs. Turning feral upon anything that can put survival at risk like a wild predator. Just knowing your life is on the line was making you more alert and acting like an animal. It seemed to be the basic of all humans. To learn to adapt and survive over everything.

Maybe that's why you weren't worried so much about the people the AIs had control over. Because you know that at the basic of all living creatures is the will to survive as well as to find a mate and a safe place to live in.

~Faithfull


	4. Chapter 3

|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|  
|~Your point of view~|  
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|

The sun was most definitely on its way down. So far you had no troubles besides the near encounter beforehand. Everything was still brown and bare. Out this far from your hideout and about not even an eighth of the way there was no ruins to hide in. If only those pesky AIs hadn't of came your way than maybe you could of reached the ruins just further on,but you couldn't risk walking around at night, let alone getting a fire going in the dark where you could be easily picked off like an ant on somebody's hand.

Stopping where you stood you drop the heavy bag, rolling your stiff shoulders back as they start to sting in pain. Looking around again you head off in a random direction until you could just see your bag and you walk around in a circle, circling the bag like a predator would. Glancing in every which angle you scope out the area, hoping that it was free of anything strange or out of place.

Once you were sure that the coast was clear you sit back by your bag upon the dusty ground, removing the goggles and the now brown cloth mask. The cold air hits your face nicely as you lay down staring up at the sky, saying something you thought of out loud.

"The light blue seems to cling to life, desperately clawing at the brighter orange as the sun starts to set. The blue is slowly being engulfed by darkness, almost like the last light, the last hope was being dimmed by despair until that was all that remained." You widen your eyes at what you came up with. Surprised that you could speak so deeply about something beautiful and turn it tragic. Sighing you shake your head. "It's tragic how I could change that beauty into something darker."

It seemed that the setting sun was affecting you mentally so you decided to get the fire going while you could. Your stomach seemed to of stopped growling but you knew better. You were still starving, it was just you got use to the hungry feeling possibly meaning that you could last longer without dire need of food. But it was better to keep your health and energy at a high level for any twists or turns that could be taken during the night or the following days. you knew better that on a trip after you've eaten one meal you'd go several days without food to ration out the supplies for them to last longer as you never knew what could just happen.

Standing back up you head out back to where you were circling and start to circle again, picking up any sticks or broken pieces of wood you could find. Finding a surprising amount you carry an arm full back to the bag and lay they against each other creating a small tent like thing. Digging around the bottom of the backpack up pull out small pieces of fabric which you always kept in there as so you wouldn't keep packing them, you grab the lighter from your pocket which you happily stole from an AI without being caught. Lighting a piece of the small square palm sized fabric you quickly put it on the sticks and wood, hoping it'd only take one piece of fabric to light it. Looking back up at the sky it seemed most defiantly that the light blue was losing, with the orange and darker blue almost black. It was a rare sight and one you were most grateful to see before any life demanding decisions could be decided.

The fire crackled to light, jumping joyously around upon its bed of wood, laughing as it enjoys it short life, something you realised you should be able to do. But hence living in solitude had it's problems such as enjoying life. All you could do was survive until the next hour, the minute even possibly. All it was at the moment was a fight which you weren't enjoying. Sometimes you wished someone was there, besides you, walking with you and sharing your problems so you weren't all alone. It was simple things like fires and skies which made you feel lonely. And others it would be the darkness reminding you that it was always going to be there no matter what happens as it never laves. It's either a shadow, in the corner of the room, whenever you close your eyes or even when a person dies. Those people who die peacefully finally learn what peace means, falling into a dark abyss of peace and calmness of never having to worry about living ever again.

Pinching your wrist you bring your attention back to the laughing orange fire and look amongst the bag for the tools in which you owned to be able to eat and cook with. Bringing out a bowl, fork and ramen with a flavor cube, you quickly put the dry ramen into the bowl with the cube of flavor and pour water into it using a bottle. Putting the bowl over the fire flame you wait patiently for it to cook. Packing everything back up with holding the bowl you finally put the bowl into the flames, letting it sit on top of the wood as you relax while watching the flames lick at the bowl. Holding the fork you start to stab the air in boredom, watching the changing sky for when you would have to put the flame out.

Noticing that the dark blue was close to taking over completely, you start to dig another hole but shallower, just enough for you to lay in and using the still warm dirt as a blanket to bury yourself under. Looking back up you grab the brown cloth and run water over it, cleaning it off all dirt so your able to breath without fear of inhaling more dirt. Once it was clean you put it over the bowl to let it dry as the ramen continues to warm up. Going back to the digging you finally finish just as a slither of orange is left, meaning you still only just had enough light remaining to finish the food and wash the plate before packing it up and putting the fire out.

Picking up the warm bowl again you stamp the fire out and Barry the remains hoping that there would be no tell tale signs of it left. Sitting in the shallow hole you remove the now dry cloth and put it into your bag before digging into your ramen. Eating it as quickly as a very hungry polar bear.  
  
Once the ramen is eaten and the bowl is clean you pack everything away into the bag and retie the cloth around your face as well as slipping the goggles back over your head, you didn't want to wake up in the morning an find yourself covered in dirt unable to open your eyes and your lungs filled with dust.

Using the backpack as a pillow you bury from your feet to just at the beginning of your neck with the still warm dirt, hoping it's enough protection for the cold night. Watching the dark blue eat the last of the orange you felt strange. Almost like the sky was being showed for a reason. You could clearly connect the dots that humanity was the light blue and the off the grid people are the orange while the AIs are the dark blue. It was almost like it was telling the story of what happened to humanity through colours. It was a very beautiful display though quite saddening. Hoping that you'd wake up to the same sky you pass out before you even know it. Not even able to look around once again you pad out that quickly and without warming, not that it doesn't usually happen when you go on this journey. It was your body's way of saying that you were and felt safe in this area.

~Faithfull


	5. Chapter 4

|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|  
|~Your point of view~|  
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|

You were up before the sun rose. Something was wrong. Something was deadly wrong. A weird feeling could be felt log the air as you squinted at the area surrounding you. Something dangerous was out there. With no weapons you crouch, slipping the bag onto your shoulders as you keep an alert eye on things.

An inhuman growl echoed through the still air. An electronic dog howl vibrated afterwards. Fear pumps through you. Adrenaline bubble within you. Cursing you start to run along the path you need to take. You knew that sound from anywhere. That electronic howl like no other could send even an AI into hiding.

It was known as an AI Human Hunting Dog. Or shortened for AHHD. They were built specifically for hunting down AIs or any humans. They were dangerous and should never be taken on. You hadn't taken one on before but you've witnessed one ripping apart an Android once. And the damaged dealt was a lot messy, there hadn't been any pieces to be reused after that AHHD was finished.

There was two of them, you could hear their howls and calls as they catch your scent. This was terrible. There was no way you were going to escape this encounter unharmed. Cursing you wipe your goggles, needing to be able to see for what ever may happen next.

The howls were louder than before meaning that they were getting closer. Leaving footprints you keep fleeing, not wanting to encounter anything. Take a second to glance at the brightening so you panicked. They could see infer red at night but at day time they were far better hunters. Hell any tine of day they were brilliant hunters. Taking quicker steps you will yourself to move faster.

You knew it was too easy. You knew that the journey so far had been far too easy. That you were let off at the near encounter with the truck. A high pitched whine rung aligned the air, painfully entering your ears. Almost falling to the ground you cover your ears. They knew what you were. And once that happened they used noise and strength to bring to to your knees.

Squeezing your hands against your ears you keep moving. You couldn't stop. For if you did stop they'd attack. And attacking means killing. Though they could also capture and you didn't want that to happen, not yet, not when you barely started your search for the village.

You needed to block out the sound before your ears burst and left you deaf. The sound seemed to fade away, most likely becoming a higher pitch. Lucky you didn't make any noise otherwise they would of kept that noise. Running faster now you try to put as much distance as possible. Looking a head you barely miss the sudden change of air. Ducking, you narrowly miss the sudden armored arm. The steel moving to grab you. Running even faster now, you have trouble getting air into your lungs.

Huffing you push your legs faster, the muscles working over time to keep you moving as your eyes dart about. You had to rely on what you could sense and see. Any movement on the air that seemed out of place you now had to dodge. Hearing the hovering of the AI you place it on the SEEKER AI. These types were always with the more heavy duty ones. These looked sleek and slim, less human than the AI humanoids. But one thing you knew was that the humanoids always stayed within the metal city while the more animal styled were outside.

SEEKER AIs were more bird like than anything. They spied from the air and where the eyes if the heavy duty ones. These ones kept an eye on the prey and directed the heavy duty. Their sleek metal design and wing like arms were more bird than any other creature. They almost replicated that white robot, EVE, from Wall-E of that picture book you found once when searching though a house. Though they were far larger.

You could hear the robotic clicking and hissing of parts moving against each other getting closer and the whooping if air from the one above you. The AHHD was gaining with the SEEKER AI above you. Still running you take a quick glance behind you and gasp.

There right on your tail were two lean, mean heavy duty AIs. They looked much like large cats in how they moved. It was gracefully and with large bounds, even with their weight being twice your own. Their eyes trained on your figure, calculating your movements. They knew who you were. It was obvious with how they moved. They knew exactly how you would react.

"Damn these AIs are getting better and better." You huff our, glaring above you and ducking as the SEEKER tried to take you out. Looking ahead and trying to double your speed you miss the familiar clicks of a gun being loaded. Looking around as your ears perk you hear unnatural silence beside those whooshes and worls of the AIs gunning after you.

You couldn't out run them forever. But the AHHD's sent fear course like rocket fuel just being lit. Each step was another breath of life. Each breath like a song to your body. A song saying that your weren't yet caught nor dead. Without so much as a sound, a line of bright, white light shines past your eyes, exploding upon contact with the ground much further away.

You push your body to the limit. Where there were the AHHDs and SEEKERs, there were sure to be the humanoid hunters. Those that wait as the beasts corner the prey close enough to be shot at. Looking at where the lift came from you see two of the humanoids. Their bright orange hair flaring against the dark brown of the ground.

You never realised the air was clearer here. That was a mistake you made. if you had noticed than you would of turned, for where ever a humanoid was the hair was clearer for their parts to stay clean and dust free. Soon you'd have to drop the bag but that would be your last resort. if you couldn't lose the SEEKER than it was all over because that was the thing telling the AIs where you were.

Maybe you'd have to take it down. But you were unsure as to how. Maybe have it fly in the dust long enough to be clogged? Still running you manage to miss the lines of white yet one sliced through the skin on the back of your calf, almost making you stumble in pain. You kept running even through every wince and tongue bite of a step.

"She's hit." An electronic male voice echoed, the voice going up and down in tones. The tone couldn't be placed as a certain tone. "We can get her now. Call in the truck."

Your eyes darted around as you ran, taking a sharp turn you almost fall over as you scramble up get back up, running more than you've done before. Even when you were close to being caught that one time when leaving the metal city.

Scrambling you keep running. Air leaving and entering your lips as quickly as a rock falls from a hill and gets faster and faster on the way down. Trying to gain at least some distance you go out of your way to lose them. This was going to make your journey far much longer but for the price of your life you didn't mind.

The scenery didn't change. All you could hear was silence. Looking behind, you couldn't spot the AIs that were after you. Pausing you look all around you. On edge you put a hand out to touch the ground beneath you. Nothing happened but your finger tips turned the colour of the dirt brown of the ground. Pulling your hand up on see no sand on your fingers.

You knew what had happened. The AIs finally caught you. Finally studied and upgraded enough to beat survival instincts of a mere human. Now it was a game of survival. Within the back of the truck, where the insides appearance changed to match the outside. Not moving to could see the sand changing and the details changing. They really did put a lot of effort into upgrading themselves and their equipment.

-Faithfull


	6. Chapter 5

|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|  
|~Your point of view~|  
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|

Sitting on the floor of the changing truck you wait to be taken to the metal city. Trying to plan a way to escape was going to be hard with the fact that no matter how far you walked you ended up back to the same spot. Relaxing you give up and just wait. Maybe once you reached the metal city you could escape and find a place to lay low. Watching the scenery change the truck was moving at a faster speed than when you were walking, meaning that it wouldn't take you long to reach the city.

You couldn't believe that you had been caught so easily. Though out your whole eighteen years of living by yourself and fighting to survive had you ever been caught so easily. Never had they brought so much fear into your system that you just wanted to flee. That was what was frightening you. The fact that the AHHDs and SEEKER AIs had brought such fear that it overpowered your mindset and special instincts. It blurred your thinking to the point that even your survival instincts had been blurred.

Now you needed to study them more. Learn how they moved. You knew the last line of AIs weaknesses but with this new line they were more fear filling and sleeker built than the last. Everything about the robots you had saw scared you. You heart still pumping furiously with the mere thought of them.

Though upon further thought the AHHDs were designed beautifully. They were like art. They moved with such grace that it was hard to of seen that they were AIs in the first place. And that was another scary thing. the fact that they were so beautifully designed and thoughtfully created that it grew your admiration and curiosity. You wanted, no needed, to see who was the mind behind those beautiful cat-like machines. And that was terrible, because if you thought like that you would surely be captured again and again just to see the on going designs.

Shaking your head you bring yourself out of those dreadful thoughts. Wanting to rid those thoughts you focus on your cut calf. The bleeding was dripping onto the bottom of whatever material you were sitting on and there was no stain whatsoever. Without a second thought you dig through the backpack looking for the container of salt to put on the wound. Grabbing a fistful of the salt you press it into your leg, hoping that it wouldn't get infected before you reach the Metallic city. Inhaling air sharply as you press the salt, pain seared up, slightly blocking any ability to think. Tearing pieces of your white tank top like it is nothing you quickly tie it around, hoping the bleeding would stop quickly as you couldn't be dying before the village is found.

The cloth soon turned red as it soaked the blood up. Sighing you open the backpack and pull out a water bottle and some maple syrup. Drinking the water you pour a tiny bit of maple syrup into your mouth with the water and swallow the sweet mixture, needing something to sooth yourself down. Sighing you take another mouthful of the sweet liquid, needing more than the first mouthful. "What shitty luck." You mutter, knowing that you'd have to start training just to defeat the SEEKER AIs, let alone those AHHD cat like machines. You needed to start preparing. Gathering everything out of the bag you put them back into the bag. Maybe if you find out whatever the material used for the inside of the truck than maybe you could use it for yourself, no matter how selfish that would be. Because let's face it. The AIs were far more selfish to you, capturing humans and keeping them like one would do with a pet. They even sorted out humans mates when it came to an AI's favouite AI.

Yes AI's had favourites. Those that would live in the same mansion as the AI's and wait on their every hand and foot to complete tasks set by the AI's who were treated as masters. That's what disgusted you. There were many, many humans that if they wanted to they could probably defeat the AIs if they wanted too but no. Because they were too comfortable and growing up with what is happening they were use to it and it was everything they knew as life. They had no will. It was like they were ghosts, or worse, zombies following orders. They barely thought for themselves if it wasn't sexual pleasure or food. The humans within the cage felt no remorse for their children nor for who they met. That's what also made them dangerous. They followed everything an AI said, meaning that if they caught on to a rouge human they would announce it for even the AI king to hear. That was their way of life. Bowing down to those that use them. Those that can't be killed unless by the hand of the AI king himself or the AHHDs.

Anger bubbling back through your veins, you smash your fist against the bottom of the truck, your hand going though whatever was making the sand. Your hand trembled as your brought it up, the side throbbing in pain. Wincing and cradling your hand, you bit your lip to change the area of pain. What a very stupid thing you did. "More pain, just what I need." You mutter, eyes sharping as the pain fills your senses. Locking your eyes around you, you try and find something that looks out of place throughout the inside. Not seeing anything out of place you let out a breath of air you didn't know you were holding. Maybe it was the fact that you wanted to escape and had your hopes set on something new out of place.

The sand changed beneath you and so did the sky. It was day time. Not counting the days traveled you deducted that travelling in this truck that it would take at least two weeks. The sky was a bright blur and since you felt like you weren't going to go anywhere soon you laid on your back. The sand below your body seemed unusually warm, like a heat blanket was underneath you. Digging into whatever was making the sane you manage to make a hole, but there didn't seem to be anything underneath but their was as you had hit your hand against it. Hugging your shoulders you curl up in the hole, enjoying the warmth and arching the sky change blues every second. It was relaxing not having to keep an eye on he area around you. It was like a weight was lifted off your shoulders.

Closing your eyes you relax even further. To the point where you were showing weakness. This meant one thing, your body felt safe, which was unusual for the position you happened to be in. Wanting to know what was going on you open your eyes into slits and look around, finding nothing of abnormal. Maybe that was why you were comfortable. Everything was exactly like it would be outside.

Ignoring everything else, relaxing completely you let your mind wander over everything that had happened. Wondering if the new AIs even had weakness spots, to what would happen once you reach the Metallic City. In two weeks you'd find out. Getting settled in you let your limbs relax, the bag within reach and removing your goggles and white mask, now having no need for them in the truck as the air was clean already.

\- Faithfull


	7. Chapter 6

|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|  
|~Your point of view~|  
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|

It seemed the truck had stopped. Meaning that either something was going to happen or something had happen. You weren't sure what but you weren't going to bet on any of them. Looking around wondering if they would enter the truck suddenly rocks from left to right. "Woah!" You utter in surprise and worry as you grab the sand which slips easily through your fingers.

It was like trying to keep your life. Always slipping out of your hands and in control of those around you. You sink into the sand, it being deeper than it originally was. Frightened you struggle to climb out of the sand. The grains of sand slipping through your fingers no matter what you did. They slid with easy around your body, as if the sand wanted to swallow you whole. Which is exactly what it was doing. Swallowing you whole.

You tried screaming but the sand swallowed that sound as well. Maybe it was to protect you as the truck rocked and jerked with great force. Or maybe it was to kill you before whatever was on the outside got to you. But whatever was happening was frightening. You had never been in this sort of predicament before. And such it frighten you. You blood pumped faster. It pumped harder through your views. Hoping to get your body ready for whatever was going to happen. It seemed your body was a step ahead of your mind like usual and such you worked with your gut instinct. Get the heck out of the sand. You clawed and fought the sand.

Just trying to escape. You were working on pure survival instincts with actions towards the sand. Screaming as the sand swallows whole, your fingers slip though the grains, unable to find a hold. It was like a monster. A monster opening it's large mouth below you and eating you. The sand burying you. Burying you where no one would find you. It scared you. It terrified you. You couldn't believe this was how you were going to go out. Suffocated by sand. The sand allowed you to slip through, no matter how much you thrashed about, trying to escape. Trying to climb, claw, get out of the sand somehow. Never had you ever been in this sort of position. Yet, then again, you had never been caught, so it was all new territory. You knew that sooner or later the AIs would catch you. Catch you at your weakest point. But you didn't know it was going to be today.  You weren't ready for the monsters they had created. Those hunters. Those machines built for speed. Built for death. If anything you hoped to of gone unnoticed. But now it really did proved just how dangerous it was becoming. And now there was nothing you could do, for now you were looking death in his eyes. His warm hands cradling your body as you sink. 

Still clawing at the sand you scream out again, hoping that someone, some human would be near. Something was happening to the truck and you had no idea what. You were terrified to the point that you didn't feel frightened. Your hands, body, legs, shook in fear, but your blood pumped loudly, getting aderalin to each limb, as if getting you ready to sprint. But there was nowhere to sprint to. There was only sand, sand and more sand due to the technology used. Fighting with all your might you try and slow the monster from eating you, but like quick sand you just sank. The truck shook, almost like there was an earthquake rocking the vehicle, but there was nothing. It was the effect of whatever was wrong with the truck. You grabbed mouthfuls after mouthfuls of air, never knowing if it would be the last before your body stilled and the blood stopped pumping, your skin growing cold and clammy and your life force sucked out of you. And that wasn't how you wanted to go. You didn't want to go by the hands of the AIs. You wanted to fight. Fight with everything you had. Give it your all to just survive.

That was your only goal.

Your one and only goal. 

To survive.

To find the village.

To find the safe haven.

The one place where you'd truly be safe no matter what happens.

It was your only goal. 

To survive, find the village, and do your parents proud.

Then the next goal. 

To defeat the AIs.

It was as simple as that.

\- Faithfull


	8. Chapter 7

You didn't even know that you had passed out from the struggling until you opened your eyes as you groan. Your back sore and it felt like the weight of just one of the large cat-like machines where laying on top of you.

Before moving you look around you, seeing that the side of the truck had been smashed in, leaving a large hole for just anybody to enter or leave. Struggling, you try to leave the sand that was currently trapping you. You felt like it was pulling you under. Fighting to keep you within the grains. The technology grabbing your clothing and skin, burning each time you struggled. Why would it do such a thing? Was it because it wanted you to stay for when more Androids to arrive?  Or was it because that was what it was created to do? You could feel small grains burying themselves into your skin, branding themselves, ingraining themselves. It burned. It felt like fire was being lit on your skin. Like each cell could be used to cook an egg. But it didn't seem as painful. It was slightly less painful as the time went on. It seemed that they were proofing you, almost like they were making sure you couldn't be burned by fire.

It seems to finally release you as the small particles start to drift away, almost like a flowing river that runs along the ground. You could feel the movement of the particles against you. The flow pulling you out of the truck and dumping you into the sandy ground. Eyes turned upwards you look at the dark brown dusty sky. Not a day went by when you wished to see the beautiful blueness but the dull brown took it away. You turn your eyes to where the flow once was and can't see anything but the dull sand and the stones that were patterned. You felt off but there was no danger whatsoever. It was like whatever had attacked the AI truck had disappeared shortly afterwards. Well, it was either that or you had been out for a fair while and you couldn't put that past yourself. 

The tiny technology seemed to disappear once they got outside. Blending in like grains of sand as they move to the point that it looked like there was no movement. If you couldn't feel the flow of them then you knew that you would notice. Feeling curious about how they were made you reach a hand down and smash as many of the little technology bugs as possible in your fist, bringing them up to your face where they sat in pieces on your palm. Biting your cheek you start to poke at the pieces and tilt your hand curious at how they reflected the light. When the light hit them it was like you were holding mini rainbows as they reflected the whole spectrum of visible light. You felt slightly drawn to the tiny shiny yet smashed devices in your palm and stared at them. Pocketing the broken technology into your backpack before searching around you for any danger.

You could feel the hairs on the back of your neck standing up straight yet you couldn't see any danger. But now knowing about the tiny technology bugs that change their appearance you weren't so sure about there being no danger. You knew that it was better to trust your instincts and judgement before your eyes as things aren't what they seem in this age. Looking around slowly, you take in an account of each small stone, each sand that is lifted by the wind and anything that seems off. Yet nothing did.

Eyes sharply analysing the land you start your journey again. Following where the tiny bugs had been going as they were sure to of been leading to the Metallic City as well as it is the direction of which the truck was moving. Now that you were out of the truck you could clearly see it's large and buff builds, it looked a lot like those trucks that were in your books when you were young in which police suffered dangerous people in the back. It was massive though and the wheels were almost three times the height of yourself, yet it was tipped on its side and the bottom was where you had exited from the whole. Realising that something must have been the reason for the large hole and be tipping the truck yet you couldn't find anything around you. And it frightened you. You felt your bones run cold almost like they were ice. Whatever was the cause was still around. Your feet felt like they were in set cement as you struggled to gain control of your body. A gargled scream leaves your lips as you try to regain control yet you couldn't. It was as if your body thought that being still would be the best choice against whatever this large creature or AI is instead of running away.

Looking around wildly now, eyes no longer lingering on one thing for too long as you search for whatever was making you feel like this. Your instincts were screaming against your brain's orders and you couldn't move you had that large of a fight happening inside you. You shake your head to disperse the thoughts in your brain and to focus on your instincts but you couldn't. Never had you had so much trouble listening to them. If your brain was telling you something or analysing then your instincts would act upon that. And if your instincts acted without the brain then the brain would just go along with it as it had saved you countless times before. And yet at this very moment when your life could be in grave danger, they decide to fight about what to do.

"Who are you?" A quiet voice demands from somewhere behind you. Your brain automatically shuts up and your instincts freeze. Your body feels numb as you stand stock still, air not moving within you at all. "I said. Who are you!" 

You needed to think of a name and quickly for you felt like the owner of the voice wasn't very patient. "Stone." You meekly say quietly as your eyes land on a stone in front of you. "My name is stone." You weren't feeling bad about lying for you had to do so to stay alive and under the radar. "And you?"

You hadn't turned around yet but you could hear the person scoff, "Fine be like that, I'm sandstone by the way. What are you?"

You feel your brows furrow at the name he introduced himself by, "Sandstone?" You question.

They grunt a response, "Your name clearly isn't Stone and yet I'm not questioning you. And I'm the only one who should be questioning."

You spin around with a glare, casting eyes on a figure that's just taller than half your size. He was a small boy with brown hair and mud tracks made clearly on his cheeks. His clothing was a worn and torn light brown shirt which hang off his much too small figure, it looked like a dress on the boy. His grey pants were short and torn above the knees, most likely so he could move easier and wouldn't trip. He had yellow fabric wrapped around his right wrist as a bag of arrows hung from his back along with a bow in his left hand.

"Oh." You almost felt like laughing at yourself for being so scared of one so young yet your body was still tense. Almost as if sensing that there was danger.

"I said. What are you?" The boy growls, his eyes narrowed and his stance hostile. He draws an arrow out of his bag and holds it, an unspoken threat lingering in the air.

"Alive?" You question, not even sure if this the answer."I think?" You hear him growl lowly and he notches the arrow. "Human. I'm human." You quickly say to stay alive.

"Are you dangerous?" He asks, aiming the arrow at you.

"You're too slow for starters. If I was a threat I'd of killed you by now."

"Hardy ha ha." The boy's eyes narrow even further as he sarcastically comments. "No more joking. Are you human?"

"I think so why?" You ask, now on edge as you slowly start to back away. The small boy lowers the bow yet keeps the arrow notched, his threat still open.

The boy nods, his stance relaxing slightly, "Good because I need your help to get into the city with all the robots." Cocking your head to the side in confusion you open your mouth to question him but he cuts you off. "And I need no questions asked."

Without a moments notice, you saw the dark bags under his eyes and the way his skin was pale. It looked like he was sick. Sick and tired as if he never had a moment's peace. A kid just like you. Struggling with the same things as yourself. Struggling and fighting to survive while the world wants him dead. Just like you. Sighing you feel a new emotion growing inside you. You wanted to have the boy come with you so you could look after him and protect him from the cruel world. Keep him safe from the ever-improving AIs. You wanted to protect him from anything that could harm his small body and so without further thought, you agreed for him to come with you.

You were going to get to the Metallic City one way or another. What could letting one small child come with you do? It wasn't like that as soon as someone else joins you on your usual solo journey that everything turns downhill. Everything already had turned downhill so what harm could this do. You knew that by now the AIs would be aware of your return and such preparing themselves to capture you. So having another person join you wouldn't be so bad. There's nothing wrong with a little company.

And so the two of you set out once more on the walk to the Metallic City, keeping your eyes peeled for anything out of place. There were two rules already set in place; no questions asked and to look after one another until you reach the destination otherwise the other will kill the backstabber.

And you weren't about to be killed by a kid younger than yourself just over a stupid small thing like that. As you had to reach the town that's off the grid and then defeat or destroy the AIs and take back the Metallic City for the humans to roam freely like they once use to.

-Faithfull


	9. Chapter 8

No words were said between the two of you. The air stale with tension and unasked questions. Safe or not, there was still a large risk of travelling with another. Especially with one so young. But the child's footsteps quiet on the sand. Quieter than your own. That should serve as a warning yet your mind wouldn't take it as one. 

"You need sleep." You speak up, breaking the silence as you watch the shadow of the boy beside you stumble. 

"I don't need sleep," The boy just grunts as a response, "We just need to keep moving."

You sigh. Shaking you're head at the idiotic actions of the young child. "You do. How else will you survive?" You think for a moment. "Here." You stop, standing in front of the boy with arms opened wide and wincing at the straps of the bag digging into your shoulders. You wanted the boy to rest, and seeing as he didn't want to stop moving you saw the only way as carrying him. He just glares up at you, not liking the idea. "If not we can stop moving and you can sleep."

"Fine." He groans, letting you lift him into your arms as he wraps his legs around your waist and nuzzles his face into the crook of your neck. "But wake me if something happens."

You smile softly as you start walking once again. The extra weight dragging you down but you ignore it with each step. He needed sleep and this was one way to get it. You were just hoping that the wind doesn't pick up again as you didn't have anything that would cover his face. You could feel his warm breaths on your neck as he relaxed. "Hey kid," You whisper.

"Mmm." He mumbles into your neck, his lips brushing against it as he rests his cheek on your shoulder. His grip on you seems to tighten.

You smile, for some strange reason, you felt at ease around the child. If this was all that was needed to have the two of you become closer then so be it. "Where did you come from?"

His voice breaks as he speaks, "I don't know."

You hum, rubbing his back a little as a way to relax his tense body. "Shh little one. You're safe with me." 

He nuzzles his face into your neck, his breath warm against it. "You won't leave me right?"

You sigh and keep rubbing his back, keeping an eye out on the area. "I won't little one. I won't." You needed to get somewhere safe for a while. A place where the both of you could relax and gather energy before moving any further. You felt his breaths even out as his grip loosens. He was asleep. You sigh in content as your travel takes an easy turn. Finally, your chance at redemption had come along. After all those years you finally have a chance to prove that you wouldn't let it happen again. And now you were determined that you wouldn't let it happen. No matter what, you'd protect the small child, even if it meant that your life gets put at risk.

You hoped that nothing would happen. Not while you're carrying the boy. Not when finally you weren't alone. Not when finally you could keep someone safe. Keep him from becoming a pet to the ruthless AIs. You weren't going to let them get their cold, uncaring hands on him. With one day of having him they'd break him and that was something that you weren't going to let happen. It happened once and ever since then regret filled your heart, and now there's a chance to write the wrong. The sun was still high in the brown dirt sky, the wind started to pick up the more you walked. It was warm. Too warm to be comfortable but there was nothing you could do about it.

The kid in your arms groans as he wiggles around a bit, his breath even warmer against the skin of your neck. He seemed to be uncomfortable as a high pitched whine is released from his lips that brush against the sweaty skin. You coo softly, ignoring the nerves of where his lips are. Bouncing him a little like you remember your mum doing you try and relax him. Rubbing his back as you look around. The sand beneath your shoes crunched and in the distance, you could see another set of ruins. It was the town that you called 'First'. This was the first town you got captured before escaping but you hadn't been back, instead choosing to go around it. But with the kid, it would offer more protection as well as be a day shorter to reach the Metallic City. 

Sighing as the kid wiggles more in your gasp, you keep walking straight. You're (e/c) eyes bent on reaching the ruins and finding a safe place until the morning. It would take three days of pure walking without rest to reach the Metallic City and as soon as you go past this ruins, no risk of rest can be taken. From the ruins to the Metallic City, there were far more AIs as they kept an eye out for any escaping pets or off the grid humans. Everyone knew that the only way to take down the AIs is to infiltrate the large building in the centre of town and get to the top floor. But just entering the city was a challenge all on its own. You were going to put both your life and the boy's life on the line just for needed supplies and any technology you could get your hands on. Last time you had tried to grab some technology you were captured and beaten by the AIs, only barely escaping with your life.

Entering the ruins you keep surveying the area. Not letting your eyes stop in one place as you walk. You knew a spot in the centre of the ruins. There was a basement that was buried under the sand. Sure it was a risk as the AIs knew it was there but it was a risk you were going to take. Passing weathered stones, decaying wood and rusted metal, you get to the centre. The boundaries of every building that use to be in the town were still there so it was easier to find the basement. You gently place the boy on the sand, leaning him against some greyed weathered stones. Your bag falls to the ground with a heavy food, dust and sand floating up in a large cloud, the boy coughing a bit as it surrounds him before you shoo it away.

Turning back to the mark on the sand you start to dig, hoping that the boy doesn't wake up for you have no idea how long he had been without sleep. He also seemed fairly passed out from how he barely moved now. Hopefully his would be enough protection until the both of you were fully rested and with a plan formed to be able to get into the Metallic City.

\- Faithfull

 


	10. Chapter 9

It hadn't been long after settling in did the young child awake. Rubbing his eyes, you watch as he looks around, drowsiness still hanging over his head like a bad cloud. "How'd you sleep?" You all but whisper, not wanting to disturb the silence as you look towards him from your position by the basement doors. All you get is a grunt in response. The small light brown haired child was most likely not a morning person even though you were placing a bet it was now night. "Food in the bag, same with water." You comment, knowing that the child wasn't at liberty to say anything to you, and so you respected that.

"Thanks." He mumbles quietly, crawling over to the bag in the corner and rummaging through it. Pulling out a bottle of water and a pack of 2-minute noodles. "Can we cook these? I haven't tasted them in ages."

You force out a smile, knowing what the kid meant. Somewhere between his birth and now, he had been abandoned or forced out and left to survive in the cruel place the world had become. "Sure." You had to somehow comfort the boy and make him comfortable around you. Neither of you had spoken about your pasts and you weren't sure if it was going to stay that way. A cold breeze filtered through the gaps in the basement door, standing up you ignore the cold feeling. Under your eyes the child starts to shake, his body probably weak from lack of food and tired. "Hey," You mutter, taking the 2-minute noodles from him, "Use the sleeping bag and rest while I sort this out okay? I can't have you getting sick."

All sandstone does is pout. "I won't get sick." A sneeze finishes his sentence for him which makes you light laugh at the small child.

Shaking your head you pick him up, feeling his arms and legs wrap back around you tightly and his body cold against your own. "Oh Sandstone." You mutter quietly as the child nuzzles his face back against your neck, his hair soft against your skin yet rough in some patches most likely from grime clumping the strands together.

You smile lightly and wrap your arms around him, walking over to where he had thrown the sleeping back out and using your feet to unroll it. It was heavy duty meaning it should be comfortable enough even on a floor as rough as this was. You feel the kids stomach rumble against you. He was unhealthy thin and hungry.

"Here." You crouch and try to place him on the beanbag, you feel his grip tighten as he grumbled and mumbles. "Come on. I have a nice warm bed for you here."

"No." He mumbles. His breath brushing against your skin, warm and moist as it brings goosebumps up. "I don't want to let go."

You feel yourself soften at his helpless tone. "Oh, hun. I'll never leave you so don't worry about it."

"Please." He begs quietly, his grip tightening on yourself. "Please don't make me."

Sighing you sit down, moving so you were leaning against the wall. "I won't little one." You mutter, resting your cheek against his head and closing your eyes. "Relax, I'm not going anywhere."

"You promise?" He questions, looking up at you with teary big brown eyes. "You won't leave me? Not like them?" He starts to shake against you and returns to bring his face against your neck. "Not when I'm asleep?"

"Oh." You softly gasp. You put together what happened and it must have been horrible for the small boy. "Never. I'll never leave you alone." You softly murder into his ear, clutching him tightly against you in order to prove it. No child should have gone through it. Especially one as old as him. You start humming a nameless tune. A tune long forgotten by time and aged with decades. You couldn't remember the name yourself but it was a soft soothing lullaby that you used to help you sleep on the worse of nights.

The boy falls limp in your arms with his breaths steady and warm. His head still tucked against your neck with his hands gripping at your clothing. You needed to stay awake in case the AIs found you. If they did then you'd need to his in the alcove by the right corner of the room, the same side as the door. You found that on one countless occasion that the AIs didn't know it was there as their scans never picked it up for some strange reason. You tried messing about with it and seeing from where the AIs generally would stand but there was still no answer. All you knew was that it was the safest spot before entering the miles surrounding the Metallic City. Once past this point, there would be no turning back till you've entered the Metallic City.

You hum quietly to yourself. Wanting to ease the tension that boiled in your stomach. To ignore the twisting knots and unfavourable chills that swept through your whole body. This was going to be dangerous. And from what you've seen of the AIs so far. You were frightened by the idea of them. Who knows how much more they've improved. It wasn't just fright. It was amazement and terror. A dangerous mixture when it came to deciding what is the best decision to be chosen.

You wanted to get closer to the AI animals that they use to hunt down humans. You wanted to admire the way they moved and the intelligence they held in their glossy eyes. You wanted to see what made them like that. To see how they work and think. You wanted to know who was behind the designs and meet them.

Yet there was your other side. The more logically side. They wanted to run. They wanted to tuck their tail between their legs and run as far away from the Metallic City as possible. To run further than they had gone before. To run past the home you built yourself and past whatever else is out there. They wanted to just run and hide. But it wasn't possible no matter how much you longed to turn around. You had little Sandstone to look after. You promised him that you wouldn't leave him and you promised to get him to the Metallic City for who knows what. And even if you do take him with you, there was the thought that you'd run out of supplies way too fast leading you both to death.

Whatever one you went with death was always going to be there. Smiling down at you and counting the seconds on his wristwatch as he patiently waits to talk to you. His eyes gleaming with knowledge as the time gets closer and closer. Dressed in black he'll come for you. Muttering and murdering to himself as he creates your wildest desires and takes upon the face your bound to love before sweeping you into the afterlife.

Elegance oozing off him with whatever action he takes, his words sharp and soft as he speaks. His fingers, dangerous yet caring, knowing exactly what to do with your soul as he takes it. The glowing in his hands reflects from his eyes as he smiles and casts your soul where it belongs. Not caring whether you go to heaven or hell. He just wants to do his job. No matter how much you try to evade his approach he just keeps walking. His steps never changing length or speed as he walks unhurriedly to the time when you'll surely die.

And that was what you feared. More than the AIs with their ruthless hunts and ways. It was the elegance of death that you feared. The man who'll arrive no matter what, not caring for the time or circumstance as he sweeps your life away. You feared your life being snuffed out and taken before you had the chance to reach the village where others like you resided. Where the resistance against the AIs hid. But it was difficult. They were so well hid that the only way to find them was if you stumbled across them by accident. But you knew there had to be someone in the breeding paddocks that knew about the village. Some pet human that knew about them. And you were hoping that you'd get lucky enough that some of the AIs already knew the general location of where it was and he sits marked on a map so half the search would have been completed. But you also knew that you'll never get that lucky. Not with how this trip was going. If anything you were expecting it to come to a nosedive in which you'd end up dead because of a wrong choice is chosen or an action that angers an AI.

It was quiet in the basement. Not a sound is heard besides the soft breathing of the sleeping child and your hushed breaths. The wall was cold against your back as the temperature seeped through your clothing and skin, chilling the bones that rested inside. You lift the goggles from your head and wipe the first off them. Gathering saliva in your mouth you spit on the goggles, hoping that they could be clean for the next trip. Rubbing them furiously you try to remember such a time when you were so relaxed. When it felt like nothing could harm you. Shaking you're head you find that you can't. Since you had been alone all you could remember is the fear of your parents being found, the horrified look on you're kind mother's face as she watches her loving husband be murdered in front of her. The blood that splattered her clothing before there wasn't an atom left of him. Wide eyes and mouth opened in a terrified silent scream you had watched as the same thing happened to her before tears trying to fall and you're throat tightening. 

You could remember the bitterness and sorrow that had filled your heart and the thudding steps of the AIs who searched for you. Their reason unknown as they trashed the house. You could remember the bright hot pink hair that stuck up in spikes on the female AI, she had seemed not to care about what she stepped on nor broke as she cooed and looked about, thinking that trying to act nice would bring you out. But it was the hair and the cold cynical look in her unseeing eyes that had frightened you too the point you scurried back against the wall under the couch where they had installed a hole to hide in. You had almost given away your position but another bright hot pink haired android had grabbed the female AI's attention. His voice smooth like silk and soft with barely a robotic tint to it. You don't remember the words but you could remember that his black eyes had locked with your own from under the couch, staring at you for a good half a second before ushering the female AI out. You remember his hair being the last thing you saw. The long strands, too long, blowing out behind him as he exited. Well tended to and shiny. Fake you now know but back then you didn't know any better, thinking it was real and that he spent a lot of time tending to it. 

You shake yourself out of the memories, not wanting to remain on why an android would save you when they weren't coded to be like that. You squeeze Sandstone to you tighter, hoping that one day he'll tell you his name and you'll do the same.

\- Faithfull

 


	11. Chapter 10

You woke up groggily, it mustn't of been long since you had slept. You felt cold and your bones creaked as you moved your head to look around the basement. Sandstone was by the bag, munching on something, probably trying to sate his hunger. "Sandstone? How long have you been up?" You ask, wondering why his movements hadn't woken you earlier. Your instincts were dull or you felt safer then usual, you didn't like it. He looks up but doesn't meet your eyes as he looks anywhere but at you. He seemed guilty of something. "What's wrong?" Your voice soft as you stand up, stretching and sighing as your joints popped from sleeping in a seated position against the wall.

"I'm worthless." He mutters, the tone sounding angry yet it was shaky as if he was covering up how he truly felt. "I shouldn't be slowing you down like this. I'm just wasting your food and water."

"Oh Sandstone." You sigh, stepping over to him and crouching in front of him. "Look at me sweetie."

He looks at you as tears seem to gather in his large brown eyes. "I can't handle it anymore." He whispers, the tears falling, "It's too much."

You bit your lip, hating the direction of where Sandstone's mind was taking him. "You're important Sandstone. You're important to me." You say, not wanting him to feel like that. A child his age should never feel like that. You bring him closer to you and hug him, rubbing his back and placing a kiss to his forehead. Sure you didn't know him for long but you cared for him. He was all you had in a world as cruel as this and you were going to do everything in your power to protect him.

"Really?" He hugs you back as he buries his face into your shoulder again, his small hands clenched into fists with handfuls of your clothes.

You shale your head at his surprise, he shouldn't need to be surprised. He should know that he's important. "You'll always be important to me." You whisper quietly into his somewhat soft hair. You hug him tightly and rub his back in soothing circles, hoping to calm him down and take his mind away from the dark places it had supposedly gone.

"Stone." He utters, voice weak as he sniffs, "You won't leave me ever will you?"

"Never. My little one. I'll always be here for you. You'll be safe and sound with me." You smile down at him and wipe his ears off his red cheeks with the pads of your thumbs, "We'll find a safe place to live and we'll have a home to live in. You can run around and have fun without worrying about anything."

His eyes wide as he gazes up at you, as if shocked that there was such a thing like that. He smiles too with his eyes closed and buries his face once again. It seems you managed to help him so far, hopefully it doesn't happen again but you knew it'd take more then this to convince him.

"Let's get more sleep little one." You mutter, rocking him back and forth, hoping to send him into a gentle sleep unlike the horror of real life. You start humming the nameless tune, not knowing why you felt like you needed to hum it but you did anyway. "I'll be here no matter what."

You listen as his breaths even out and he falls limp in a deep sleep. You keep rubbing his back and humming. No matter what you'll protect him from the AIs. It wasn't long of holding sandstone in your arms when the dull sound of heavy thuds reach your ear. Each thud easy to hear and make sound. Each one sending a pang of fear straight into your heart. How the hell would they know? What's going on? Why is everything falling? You continuously think as you maneuver sandstone so he's piggybacking you, waking him up so he clings like a small koala.

"What's going on?" He questions grumpily, having to of been woken.

You work quickly, shoving items into the back lack and rolling up the sleeping bag. "Shh little one. You need to be quite for me okay?" You mutter, hoping that this wasn't alerting whatever was thumping on the ground. They came evenly. A dull heavy, slow rhythm seeping into your bones and flesh as you work hurriedly.

"Quickly, over there." You point to the hiding spot, hoping that it would be enough to stay hidden from the next generation AIs. But you wouldn't bet on it, not with the bad luck you've currently been having.

You put the tired child down and watch as he stumbles over to the alcove and falls to his knees, leaning against the wall and probably falling asleep still. Gathering everything into your arms, you make your way to the alcove, letting everything fall beside the groggy child. "Hey, sandstone. Look at me little one." You mutter, crouching in front of him and poling his cheeks.

"Why?" He asks, looking up at you with half lidded brown eyes.

You click your tongue, "In case we need to make an escape of course."

You could hear the thuds of several steps, the basement doors creaking in an effort to stay looked at they're rattled and pulled at. You try and keep his attention focus on you and not the fear that is slowly eating the both of you. They were taking too long. They knew you were here. There is no escape. You steel yourself for what could happen. "The bottle!" Sandstone calls out, staring at something past your body. Turning around as he runs for it you gasp.

Reaching arms out to grab him just as the doors give way. "Sandstone! No!" It was like everything happened in slow motion. The bright white lights that filled the otherwise dim basement, the heavy steps of metal against concrete, the panic that fills every inch of your body. You watch as Sandstone's hands encircle the water bottle, turning your attention to the AIs who storm the place.

Big bulky ones these were, with armor plating and weapons in their hands. They were the soldiers of the AI world, they protect, defend and attack. Their pale white painted bodies, free of dust and grime. The blue of their armour, almost like the colour of the clear sky that is so rarely seen. Their arms held weapons. They were so similar to a gun but you knew what they shot. They shot electricity. Body spasms before feeling numb. They stopped any nerve circuit for an unknown amount of time.

The cold eyes scanned the room. As blue as the amour and the hair on their head. All male. An all male group. Never did they allow the females to be a soldier. The females worked as nurses or as the commanders, or they scouted. But they would never let a female be like these ones. You gasp as they start scanning the room. All their blue eyes landing on poor Sandstone who stared at them in horror.

Several of them reached for him. Their arms all reaching for him. The fear and terror was etched on the port child's face. You could feel it feeding your own. You breathe, trying to get the fear under control. Just as they are able to grab him you spring up, the backpacked already packed again on your back. You hoped that it could serve for more weight as you knew that you wouldn't be able to take them out yourself. They didn't draw their weapons at all, even when you went screeching and screaming at the ones closest to Sandstone. Flying through the air in a jump you knock into some of the Soldiers, thudding against them heavily. You screech at them to leave Sandstone alone, hoping it gives the boy enough to run.

You see Sandstone make a move, running around the distracted AIs and back outside, where you hoped he'd be able to hide and survive with his little water bottle. Now you just needed to escape. Strong arms encircle you, one of the AIs holding you tightly to their chest. Kicking and screaming you struggle to escape for metal. This was one way to get to the Metallic City. Unharmed by your small movements, the AI bundles you tighter against him, following the others who leave after getting what they had came to collect.

You grumble under your breath and keep fighting, wanting, no needing to escape. Another hand pets your head as they wait for the back of the truck to open. Two of them surrounded you. The one holding you in a bone crushing grip and the one petting your head softly, as if you were just a mere pet to them.

Scoffing you try and bite the hand petting you, getting a finger in between your teeth. The AI just looks down at you. Bright blue eyes scanning and watching. An eyebrow raised as if he was mildly amused. But you knew otherwise. They weren't human. They supposedly could feel emotion but not properly. You try to sink your teeth into the metal, hoping to bite through the joint and break it off. But even biting at the joint you couldn't get your teeth through the metal. The AI just keeps watching you, that amused look never leaving his face. He wiggles his finger in your mouth, tickling the roof of it. You try to bite harder but no luck. The AI brings up another hand and pets your cheek, wanting you to release his finger but you don't. He rolls his eye and looks to the one holding you. You feel the rising of his chest as he seems to laugh, "You did put your finger there." His voice was deep and bass like, not sign of electronic heard. They were too human like. Emotions, the voice and their movements. Humanity really was screwed.

"You two will need to stay in the back with her, the four of us will take the front seats." An AI from the front speaks up, his voice a warmer tone then the one holding you. Not a word is said after that as the two walk into the back with you, the one who's finger your biting going first. You hoped that Sandstone was safe.

The back of the truck was unlike the last you had been in. This one looked like someone's lounge room, well from what you could piece together from broken childhood memories. A red lush two seated couch sat in-room of a red woollen rug facing a fireplace and a glass coffee table. Behind the couch seemed to be a bed with chains from each post, most likely for the ones they captured if they caused trouble or for amusement of the AIs. But from what you've seen they don't appear to want that sort of amusement.

The two sit down on the couch, the first still gripping you tightly as if he didn't want to let you go. The doors close and you fall limp, realising that there was no escape. Not with two AIs hovering around you. The second finally pulls his finger from your mouth, grimacing at the saliva that covers it. Water proof AIs, just great. He starts wiping his hand on the shirt your wearing before relaxing and putting his feet up on the coffee table. "There's no escaping us (y/n). May as well give up. You could only run for so long." The first says, his deep voice echoing in your bones as he let's go of you. You roll off his lap and onto the woolen rug, melting as the softness encases your skin. Never had you felt such a texture.

You groan and roll about, forgetting about the AIs who watch you in confusion. You sigh and stretch before curling up around the first's legs. No use wasting energy trying to escape, not when there's a chance to escape into the city when you reach it. And if you can't beat them, you may as well join them for the moment. The adrenaline slowly wears off and your grow tired once again, yawning you cling to the cool legs. Removing the mask, goggles and backpack from your body you relax. The first AI confused about what your doing but says nothing. You notice that the first AI's hair is slightly darker blue then the second. Humming as you wonder why, you let sleep take you.

\- Faithfull

 


	12. Chapter 11

Waking up the AIs were still in the same position but it seemed that the one you were wrapped around had been shut down. His blue hair fell limply over his closed eyes as his head was tilted to the side, leaning on the second one with the slightly darker hair. The second was leaning against the arm of the couch with his chin resting in him palm as his eyes went side to side, almost as if he was reading something and yet nothing was there. Unravelling yourself, you yawn. Your spine popping as you do so. Blinking away the tears you look up at the darker blue haired Android and wonder if he knew your were awake. You didn't have to wonder for long as he spoke up, "Had a nice sleep female human?" He tilts his head further to the side while keeping it in his palm and looks down at you. "I've read in the human pet handbook that it is vital towards your health. Even though you are very weak and everything can kill you."

"Such comforting words." You mutter, flinching as his free hand pets you on the head like one might do to a dog.

"I'm glad that I am able to bring you comfort human pet." He responds, totally missing the sarcasm in your tone. "Anyway, was it a good sleep."

"It was alright." You answer, "And your weak as well."

This catches his attention. "How petty human?"

"We'll let's see. Sure you don't need food or water but you need to be recharged. As in constantly have energy flowing through you." You watch as he nods, a sign that he's listening. "You also get rusted when in contact with water."

He quickly cuts you off. "We have solved the water issue."

"Yes yes." You wave a hand at him and roll your eyes. "Now where was I?"

"I believe saying our weaknesses and what can kill us." He answers confidently.

"I know that idiot. I meant what I was going to say next." You sit there thinking for a moment. "So you need constant energy. The water problem is solved. What about the dirt problem. You need to be free of dirt and that can't always happen so there's one."

"Actually that's solved too." He states, "The field that surrounds us keeps all the dirt away."

You roll your eyes again. "I noticed. But it's still a problem. Your using more energy having that going." You start thinking again, wondering what else there is. "There's those dreadful AHHDs that's been created."

It seemed that the Android froze under your gaze at the mere mention of the hunting dogs. His internal structure seems to click and wirl as he looks around, his human enough looking body tensing. The metal beneath the fake skin cooling to a lower temperature by fans and the cold water system to bring out the natural human reaction of goosebumps. "Never mention those again. Never. They are enough to even seen a new code into a meltdown."

You were feeling a multiple emotions at his reaction. Happy at the fact that you were right that even the androids feared the AHHDs yet fearful at the same time. As not many things could scare an AI unless it's really dangerous. But there was confusion too which came as two questions. Why would the AIs create something that scares and hunts their own kind? What's a new code? You weren't sure whether it would be a good idea to voice the concerns or not so you stayed quiet and stood up. Yawning and stretching your arms above your head you rub your eyes. You felt like you got enough information from him just by his reaction alone.

"Anyway. All those things are able to be improved upon. You're species isn't able to evolve quickly." The male Android says, watching as you sit on the coffee table next to his legs which rested upon it. "It takes your species generations and generations just to evolve one aspect while ours is taken care of in the next update or build. So we are the superior race."

You rolls your eyes and touch his feet, curious about what their skin felt like. "Yeah yeah yeah. Your the superior race. Everyone bow before the eternal life force."

He makes a clicking sound. "We're not eternal beings. We all fall at one stage. Whether is from overuse, unfixable damage or just too aged to the point where our joints wear out." He makes a movement with his arm as if to bring all your attention to the facts.

"Um no." You say. "The oldest Android has got to be around sixty eight years old. Not old by human years. We can live to hundred."

"No but we're more durable. Look at us after sixty eight years." He says proudly, "We've updated beyond what humans have done in over twenty thousand years. We've worked out the perfect system." He blinks his royal blue eyes and stares at you. "We are the perfect creation. We will forever be the perfect creation. We will forever rule."

You click your tongue. "No you won't. It will change. Humanity doesn't like to be kept in cages. No matter how comfortable it is."

"Yes we know. History has told us. But this time it will be different." He wiggles his feet seeing as you were interested in what lay under the boots, "We are already snuffing out any resistance so it won't be long before your race understands that they've only been working for us and as slaves. I can't wait for you too see the generations that have been born." He grows excited, talking about something that he believes in so strongly seems to have a large effect on him. His cheeks burn pink and his eyes are bright, almost like lights they are. Lines like stitching seem to start to glow along the sides of his neck to under his long sleeved shirt. You couldn't see if anything else glowed due to the fact that the rest of him was covered. Pants tucked into boots, gloves that wrapped around the sleeves of his shirt. Just what they need to be protected from any stray dust. It felt so strange to see such a human reaction come from him. It frightened you. Maybe there really was no way to tell them apart now. The only way is their hair. Damn this was making things much, much worse.

"And what makes you think I'll see it?" You asks frightened of the Android's human reactions.

He raises an eyebrow at you, mocking your human manners in your eyes. "Because you have no choice." His voice taking on a dark tone. "We caught you fair and square."

"Woah. Calm down mister." You automatically put your hands up in a mock surrender, subconsciously telling him that your no danger because honestly you wouldn't be able to dent his material even if you tried. You'd be dead before you even acted on the thought.

He just rolls his eyes at you and crosses his arms, leaning his head on the lighter blue haired male's head. He says something but you weren't listening. You were too lost in thought. Creeping out the Android as you just stared at him in a dead like fashion. To you they almost seemed like brothers, a family even though androids weren't suppose to have it. Their features strikingly similar with the sharp jawline, and straight nose. Broad alpha male shoulders and thick with strength. "It's Haru. And he's Haku my brother." He repeats trying to get your attention and cut you out of the creepy staring but it doesn't register in your mind. You're too far gone in your thinking that nothing of the outside world would register.

They screamed power and danger yet at this specific time they seemed so relaxed and calm. As if they weren't dangerous. But you knew better. They were as dangerous as a venomous snake, waiting for the perfect time to strike and sink their teeth into your flesh, injecting venom and watching as you die a horrible painful death. That was what you remember reading about a few years ago from an old yellowed page that sat in the corner of a long forgotten basement. And to be honest, you would say it suited the Soldier AIs. Waiting for the perfect time to strike. And it's exactly what they had done before.

Capture you when you were weak. Captured you in a time of weakness. Sandstone needed you. And taking that advantage the AIs used it against you. The maternal instinct that every female developed to care for a young child in need. Your own DNA was used against you. You couldn't believe it. Falling silent you think over the events. Trying to figure out if there was a sign, anything, that you had missed before the capture. But you couldn't find anything. Sandstone had needed you and you provided what you could. The Soldiers took that moment and used it to their advantage. You wouldn't expect anything less of them. They were coded to behave that way. If their enemy shows any signs of weakness they'd use it to take the upper hand. Which they were successful on getting.

Your thoughts return to Sandstone. God you hoped that he was safe and okay. That he wasn't hurt and that he was at least following the truck so that when you escape you could look after him. He only had a water bottle. In the heat of what the earth has become you knew it wouldn't last long. Not with the dirt and dust that would enter his throat and lungs, making him thirsty and crave water. Not even onto the fact that he'll start starving after a while and die. You wouldn't let it happen. You wouldn't break your promise to him. You wouldn't leave him by himself. Not like his parents. You'd be damn if the Soldiers cut off your arms and legs. You'd still find a way to reach Sandstone. No matter what you'd be there for him. No matter what you'd stay at his side. Even if heaven and hell separated the two of you.  You needed to protect the innocence left in the torn world. He was the small piece of faith and hope everybody needed. He was your small piece of faith and hope. And you were going to do your damn best to find him again and keep him by your side. No matter the cost. Even if it cost you both your eyes you'd make sure he was by your side. Nothing would separate you again once you find him. You'd make sure of it.

\- Faithfull

 


	13. Chapter 12

You sat on the coffee table bored out of your mind. Haru had shut down after a while of you just staring at him in thought and his brother hadn't turned on yet. There was no escape and no use wasting energy. You were hungry and thirsty and such dug about the bag that they so kindly allowed you to keep. Probably knowing it had the necessaries to keep you living. You were still confused about the fact that they didn't seem to want to kill you. Your mind was still convinced that they were either going to break you so that you were like the other humans or humiliate you in the centre of town. Either would do the job they so desperately seem to want to do. They needed proof that they were the greatest and what better than to break and humiliate someone who had kept evading their capture and knowledge for so long. You knew that you were going to die. What you didn't know was when or how.

Digging around you find a packet of ramen and a bouillon cube, you smile and grab the full two-litre bottle out of your bag, it was the only one left after Sandstone taking the other. Humming you try and figure out how to do this. Gulping a few mouthfuls of water down you finally have a light bulb moment, even though you haven't seen a working light bulb in years, not including the somewhat strange truck or house you happened to be in, which had a chandelier hanging from the roof. The AIs could be useful for this. They seemed to be waterproof and so it could work out brilliantly. You just needed a heating source.

Getting up you make your way to the lighter blue haired male, Haku, you think he was named. Reaching out a hand you poke his cheek, feeling the fake flesh. It was exactly like real flesh but their flesh held no colour, it was just a stark white besides the light grey where shadows fell. He didn't seem to move at the touch and so you took it as an okay to sit on his lap to be able to reach more of him. Straddling him, you start letting your hands roam, trying to figure out if there was an off switch, a weakness or a way to warm up the water. Even though it felt weird and uncomfortable you continued on, not wanting to give up this chance to explore how their finished build was like.

Biting the inside of your cheek you start with his face. His hair feeling soft and like your own in a strange way. Touching his forehead you press down gently, wondering if there was a compartment or something of the like but nothing happened. You move on. This time the eyebrows. You could move them physically, moving them in such a way he appeared surprised as he slept. You laugh softly and move on past his closed eyes, not wanting to test them for fear that he would definitely awaken. His nose was hard and straight, nothing strange about it, even when you booped it all it did was wiggle a bit. You weren't liking it one bit. His cheeks were the same as his forehead and his lips were soft under your touch.

You pry his mouth open, wanting to see the teeth and tongue. His teeth were exactly like your own. You open your own mouth and using a hand you touch your own teeth while with the other you touch his, counting and feeling if there was any difference between the two jaws. Nope, there was nothing. Not even the tongue had any difference. But their mouth was dry and without the saliva which the normal human had. Which you found understandable as their teeth were fake and didn't need protecting from bacteria.

Sighing you move on, testing his throat and ears. The ears could wiggle but there was no significant with them. But you could probably be able to pierce the machine they used as an eardrum if you could find something small and sharp enough. The throat held nothing special. It seemed it was tougher to stop the wires from being cut, even the Adam's apple was effected. Digging you move to the shoulders and chest, feeling the build moulded into muscles and abs underneath the clothing he wore. You put your ear against his chest where the heart is supposed to be but you hear nothing. No beat, not even a hum to suggest that his power source was there. You guessed it was made out of the same material as his throat, reinforced to stop anything from penetrating it. "Are you okay there?" A voice from above startles you. Eyes wide you jump back, almost falling off his lap if it wasn't for the arms that wrapped around your chest. You just stare at him with your mouth opened wide and a pink blush on your cheeks for being caught red-handed. "Are you okay?" He asks again.

You got your voice back and nodded your head quickly. "I'm fine. Totally fine."

"What were you doing?" He asks, tilting his head as he does so.

You lick your dry lips, unsure how to answer. Should you lie and say you got cold or just tell the truth. "I got cold." You decide to lie.

He narrows his eyes, the pupils expanding rapidly as he scans you. "You're lying. You're not cold at all." His voice was more demanding now. "I say it's in your best interest to answer honestly from now on unless you want to die." He threatens.

"You get straight to the point don't you." You mutter, his grip tightening at your comment which makes you yelp. "Okay okay okay." You respond quickly, sighing in relief when his grip loosens once again. "I was curious about your build and wanted to see if there were any weaknesses, as well as see if you had some sort of heating thingy so I could boil some water." You quickly gush, not wanting to die.

He makes a humming sound and stands up with you still in his arms, "Did you find any weaknesses?" He moves to the back of the room, near where the bed was.

You shake your head, "Nope. Only your ears or eyes. If I had something sharp and thin I could do some damage but otherwise nope." You wonder what the AI is planning on doing, it was acting so strange.

He let's go of you with one hand and presses a button, a doorway appearing and what seems to be a kitchen on the other side. "Human food making area." He states, letting you down so you can explore, "Just don't break anything." He mutters before leaving back to the couch, fingers quickly moving on his arm as if he was typing.

You quickly run past him and grab your bag, booking it into the kitchen where the temperature was cooler. You loved the cold air after years under the searing sun. The kitchen was a silver colour with marble countertops. Exploring you find cupboards and cupboards of food, a tap which lets out crystal clear water and what appears to be a white box with two different doors and two different much colder temperatures. You quickly start stuffing your bag full of the food from the cupboard, taking everything edible. You even start munching on the food you know about, the sweet crunchy apples that you hadn't tasted in forever as they were so hard to come by and didn't last long before rotting. You pour out all the water in the two-litre bottle and replace it with the tap water. Cupping your hands under the tap you drink from your hands, enjoying the cool water and fresher taste on your tongue. Unlike your filtered water from the mud and any plant life you found, using the sun to gain access.

You cap the water bottle and place it back inside your bag, finishing up another two apples you finally fill full as you lick the juice from your fingers and lips as it was perfectly ripe and sweet. Maybe just maybe you could use them to your advantage for now as they seemed to be wanting you in the best condition. Once you gained enough supplies from them you could escape once your let out of the truck. You could meet up with Sandstone. Try and find the village they live in the village. Away from the AIs and the horrors that they bring. But for now, you could only relax and gain as much energy as possible to ready for the escape. It also couldn't hurt to learn more about the AIs and how they're built so that you're able to better combat and evade them.

\- Faithfull

 


	14. Chapter 13

You weren't sure how long you had been travelling in the truck but it had to of been a while. You had fallen asleep three times for who knows how long, as well as ate whenever you felt hungry. It was like a whole different life. Being about to do what your body wanted without fear of death or being found. It felt like a relief. Like for the first time in a long time you were able to relax completely. It made you feel guilty. Little Sandstone was out in the dangerous world while you were in an AI truck and enjoying items that would otherwise be death to try and get your hands on. You wanted to throw up everything that you had eaten and drank in those moments after consumption. You didn't want to feel guilty. Like you were going behind Sandstone's back for enjoying it. You wanted to scream and shout. You didn't know at what but at something. Everything was to your comfort. As if they had taken the care to craft everything for your liking. But it wasn't crafted and you knew it. It was those tiny robots that created the space around you. That decorated the furniture and that made everything look how it did. But the two AIs caused a problem for you. Whenever you did try and throw up the food that you had eaten, they both would rush over and stop you. Forcing your arms behind your back, Haku usually gripping them tightly and Hasu petting your hair while gripping your cheeks between his hands, both their faces set in stone and looked to be furious. They never did seem to understand why you did it.

And it was one of those times. You were leaning over the toilet that had appeared some time ago when you asked where the bathroom was. The little bugs and technology quickly changing to make a bathroom. 

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." 

The tiles were cold under your knees and the toilet felt smooth. You were forcing yourself to throw up the food you had eaten not long ago. 

"Forgive me. Please. Please forgive me." 

Putting two fingers as far down your throat as possible then gagging on them to induce the reaction. It worked most the time, something you just had to keep coughing and forcing yourself to go through the motion before bile came up. 

"Sandstone. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please. Forgive me." 

It stung your nose and throat as you coughed it up. The smell staining your clothes and stinging your already watery eyes. Within what you assumed to be two minutes did the AIs forcefully enter, knocking down the door and risking over to you.

"I don't mean to Sandstone. Please!"

Hasu roughly pulling your arms behind your back, dragging you away from the toilet as soon as the bile stopped being retched up. Haku was in front of you, his knees clicking as he crouches in front of you, his hand coming out and his fingers digging into your cheeks. Large, fat, salty tears spill from you eyes. The mantra never ending in your lost mind. 

"Please. Please. Please. Please."

The AIs shared a look. Neither knowing what to do with you. They hadn't seen this before. Not even with the ones they kept as pets. Nobody did what you were currently doing. Torturing yourself. As if it wasn't your choice. But you chose to do so. Chose to retch up everything you ate. Forced yourself to remove any nutrients that kept you alive. The two AIs didn't like that at all. Haku glared at you, his gaze piercing through the layers you wrapped yourself in. You feel something soft and smooth wrap around your wrists, tying them tight together.

"You have her?" Haku asks, looking at Hasu who stood behind you. 

Hasu hums, his voice shielding close to your ear. "Give me a moment. I have to get the rest of the ribbon tied." It didn't take him long and you didn't struggle. Already defeated too many times to escape, and plus there was no use. You were trapped in the truck with no way to leave unless they open the door out which they weren't going to do unless you were at the destination. "I have her."

Haku nods and let's go of your face, his eyes still glaring down at you. You stretch your jaw, unable to rub the sore cheeks as your hands were tied. "I'll get the collar." Haku gets up, his knees clicking as the legs straighten. He leaves you alone with Hasu in the bathroom..

You were so confused but couldn't Gunther will to voice your questions. "This is your fault human." Hasu growls. "You wanted this." His voice too close to your ear, his weight on your back all too there. "It's on you." 

You hated him. It. Him. Whatever the hell the AI was. You hated it. You could feel the rage, the fear, and the defeat mixing into a bubbling mix of dangerous emotions. You wanted to lash out at something. To scream at them. But you were helpless. You has-been helpless since the day they took your family. Since the day they destroyed humanity. Since the day you were the last remaining human. The soul of humanity. The only chance left for humanity to rise and thrive again. You couldn't let them break you. You couldn't let them snuff out the last of humanity. You needed to remain strong. And if not for yourself. If not for humanity. Then for Sandstone. The small boy you swore to protect. The small boy you promised a better life for. Promised to stay with him. Promised to never leave him. You had to be strong for him. He was all you had left in the hell torn world. Humanity had no hope left, but one day. You knew that one day there will be hope. And that hope will light the spark. And from that spark, a fire that will burn brighter then it ever has in the history of humanity. Then the humans will finally have a chance at regaining their freedom.

"I have it." Haku was back, his light blue hair bouncing with each step. Too human. He was too human. "Get the food and water." Your tied hands are let go and Hasu pushes you onto your front. A puff of air leaving your lips at the force. You bite your tongue, not wanting to say anything that could land you in more trouble. "This has to be done." You feel one of them sit on the small of your back, their fingers dancing along your arms and back. A touch as light as a feather and as dangerous as the heat. One wrong move and you knew that he could wrench your arms back and pop your arms out of their socket, ripping the whole arms off if he wanted to. 

He could also encircle his fingers around your throat and choke the life right out of you. Squirming and kicking beneath him as your body fights for oxygen, your lungs inhaling less and less, your blood having no more to transfer around your body, your brain shutting down first, the lack of oxygen building up dangerous levels of carbon dioxide which suffocates your brain. The cells of the brain dying from he lack of oxygen rich blood and not even a few minutes, the brain will have been damaged and nothing could heal it. A few listens longer without oxygen rich blood and it will end in death. 

It seemed that book you found and read from your last Metallic City run came in handy, but it didn't exactly help your nerves. Especially with how you seemed to be at the AI's mercy and was helpless if he decided to kill you. You don't feel anything but his fingers dancing and tracing patterns on your back. Ever so slowly making their way up higher and higher. Something encircles your throat. Thin and cold. You start to fight, thrashing about and kicking. Trying to remove him and survive. You couldn't let him choke you. You couldn't. Not when you had Sandstone to find and protect. 

"Calm down." Is growled lowly in your ear. Haku. It was Haku on your back. You couldn't calm down. He was tightening something around your neck, soon there wasn't any space between the cold and your warm skin. If it tightened anymore you'd start to choke. You start to breath erratically. The thought of being so close to choking frightened you. The dark black mass of fear growing stronger and stronger. Cooking and tightening into a large black ball before exploding and parts being sent to all limbs. You couldn't breath. You struggled getting breath into your lungs. The fear growing and spreading throughout your whole body. It was too much. You couldn't handle it. You wouldn't be able to survive. You were going to die at the hands of the AI. Old age was never going to be something you could achieve. That had been ditched since the AIs started hunting for rogues. You would never get to live to have a family. Never to have a life free of fear and Artificial Intelligence. Never to grow old and watch your children grow up. It was all going to end. This was your last moment on the Earth that turned to hell. No paradise. No life. Just monsters. Monsters that had no need to hide under beds or in closets. Monsters that enslaved and ruled. Monsters with no weakness. "Calm down!" Haku shouts into your ear, trying to gain your attention. To take you away from the dark places in your mind. "(Y/n)! Calm down!" You couldn't. You didn't know why. But you could barely breath.

"Get the collar off her." A feminine voice shouts, trying to take control of the situation. You could feel your brain shutting down. The lack of oxygen effecting it already. Hopefully no damage will be done. "Now!" The cold material is removed from your neck, letting the skin breathe, and yet your breath still didn't return. You were petrified.

"What do we do?" A panicky voice asks.

"Damn it." Another growls, "Calm her down. We're not far now." 

All five of them were here with you, Hasu in front of you, his blue eyes staring into your own as if trying to become a stable point in the world. As if becoming a rock in a fast flowing river. But you kept missing. Unable to get back in control. Maybe you were never really in control. Haku had gotten off your body, the white ribbon in his hands that must of tied you up but you could hold onto the information. The colours flashing too bright in your eyes and you close hem, trying to find some calm. Some sort of peace that you could use to calm down. But you could find anything. Nothing was there to grab on to. And if something was there it evaded you like you had done to the AIs. You fell into the darkness. Losing all sense as you black out from the lack of oxygen to your brain. 

\- Faithfull


	15. Chapter 14

It was an uphill battle to wake up. But you could breathe. And that was the main thing. Now you just needed to open your eyes. But weren't your eyes already open? All you could see was black. You felt your palms grow sweaty and the cloth over your eyes gets damp. A cold breeze is felt dancing along your skin, the rags of clothing you wore lifting with it. You don't move, not knowing what's around you, who is watching or where you are.

You could hear the dropping of a liquid. The droplets hitting something. The sound echoing the fast beating of your heart. You try to hear beyond the dropping of the unknown liquid. Trying to find if there is anything beyond the sound. You can hear the faint tune of a song. The notes repeating over and over. It was soft yet horrifying with the darker notes lacing the underside. It set your already gooseflesh skin in ice. It was the tune that had been playing in your head. The one that was playing in your head since you were alone. Why were you hearing it? How were you hearing it? Are you hearing things? Why is it outside your head?

Where was it coming from?

You didn't like it. You didn't like it one bit. Not the darkness that had you feeling blind. Not the silk of which tied your hands and covered your eyes. Not the sounds of dripping liquid or the sound of the music. The breeze did little to comfort you as it continuously blew across your skin and clothing. You wanted to hide. To cover up every inch of skin. To dissolve into the atoms that were in the air around you.

You hear something squeak than a loud clang. Startling you as it came from nowhere and yet all around you. This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't supposed to happen at all. You were supposed to reach the Metallic City without being caught. Without being seen. And yet here you are. Just like the times before. Caught like a mouse in a trap. There couldn't be any possible way to escape now. Not with the AIs being so advanced. It was you're worsest nightmare come to life. "We will use her." The high feminine voice states as another clang are heard. Heavy footsteps echo two pairs. Metal on metal. You could hear the electronic voice box in her voice.

"Is this it?" A rougher and sandpaper voice asks, male. "I was expecting something grander."

"Disappointing is it not?" You feel fingertips ghost along where your eyes were, trailing the silk. "When will it be completed? The King needs his update."

A gasp is heard, "Very soon. It is almost complete." The silk falls from your eyes.

You blink your eyes to get used to the dim lighting. You see a tall figure, slim and yet very curvy. Her hair seemed to touch the ground and was tied back upon the top of her head. She would look beautiful if only she was human, for the inhuman white of the fake skin and the spring green glowing lines of where the joints connected ruined it. Her eyes seemed to glow brightly in the dim light, lighting up her high cheek structure and pouty styled lips. The male beside her was shorter and rounder, hair in patches as if he stressed to the point he pulled out handfuls. His clothes barely fit and were stretched tight against his skin. He seemed more human, his skin a sickly yellow as if he was wrongly treated, which you supposed he had been, and his glasses wonky on his face. "Good good." The AI speaks, "Now get all the information possible from this human. Even if it means destroying the brain and it's neuron pathways." The AI sharply turns around and exits, the door closing behind her.

The man shakes as he steps closer. "Hello?" He says, wondering if you could talk. You bite your lower lip and remain quiet, not liking how the mask and goggles you usually wore were gone. "Please talk. I don't want to use the machine on you." He almost begs, his hands coming to grip your forearms.

"What?" You say, looking up at the shaken and abused man.

"Oh thank god." He sighs in relief. "I'm so glad you speak." He steps back, a smile on his face now as he gains more confidence. "(y/n) (l/n), right? Granddaughter of Mr Jones (l/n)?" The man asks sending you into shock at the fact that your name was known. "Good good." He winces at the words that he says, "Sorry. So sorry." He winced once again. "I'm glad to meet you for once. I knew your parents and your grandfather." He says.

"How do you know my family?" You ask, on edge at the fact that he seemed to know more then he needed.

"Your grandfather worked on the first AI. The AI King. Now the King wants to meet you. I have to do something to you. Take something out or something. I don't know but I don't want to." The man rushed through his speech, he spoke faster then needed as if afraid that he wouldn't get enough time to say everything on his mind. "I need to go. Their calling for me. My one word of advice. Don't say anything or do anything that could cause them to attack you." He scurries back up the stairs, his footsteps quick as he does so.

"God damn it." You curse. Realising that there was no way to escape. You sit there for a few moments. Tugging on the bonds that held your limbs down but none of them budged at all.

"Hello Miss (y/n) (l/n)." A female voice bounced off the walls and into your ears. You tense and stop moving. Hoping it was a sight based AI. "Now. Where do I start?"

"How about letting me go." You growl, struggling once again and kicking your feet against the chair legs. Whatever that music was needed to stop. It was sending every single nerve on fire and your whole body sent signals to your brain, confusing you what you needed to do as it got louder.

The female AI laughs from her spot. "Now that the music definitely has an effect. It means that they did do it." You see her before you hear any sound. Hovering off the ground as air pushes her feet up.

She was a small petite robot, decorated all white with glowing purple blossoms in small groups. She looked beautiful, even her light purple hair seemed to glow. From what you saw each had its own aesthetics.

She seemed to smile and do a small flip before landing in front of you. "Now this won't hurt at all sweety."

"Let me go!" You shout as she comes closer. "Let me go! Where's Sandstone?!" You start to panic and struggle against the bounds.

The AI just comes closer, "This won't hurt at all sweety." She repeats. She presses a button and something falls from the roof, it seemed to be a massive machine. The sides seemed to be made of a clear material but it didn't matter for you couldn't reach it because of the strips that locked you to the chair. You could hear some clicking behind you as the purple coloured AI stares at you, scanning to see if everything was going smoothly.

You feel something cold against the back of your neck and you help in fright. You didn't know what they were planning, nor what they wanted. "Let me go!" You shriek as you feel it push against the skin. You lean forwards trying to evade it but it just makes it worse. You freeze as something else drops from the roof. It seemed to be a long thick circular metal that was connected to a clear plastic cylinder with a gold liquid that sloshed about as it lowered to your shoulder. You could feel your heat beat loudly, you could see the robots mouth moving yet you couldn't hear her. Your skin starts to feel clammy as you emotions rise. You were frightened beyond belief and you screamed for them to let your go. Wiggling as you try to get off the chair.

You feel the metal on your neck pierce the skin, a high pitched scream leaves your lips as the pain registers. It was the worst you had felt as it pushes in slowly. It was thick and felt bulky. The same time the large needle stabbed your shoulder, injecting the liquid into your blood. Your throat was raw as you screamed in pain continuously. You start feeling heavy and drozy. Your body growing number as whatever was in that liquid did its job. You expected them to be more precise and to be able to do this painlessly but they couldn't. You watch with a hazy foggy glance as the needle exits your right shoulder. The blood trickling from the wound and dropping from the top of the sharp needle. You no longer felt your fingers and you slump in the chair, feeling completely boneless like you were just a liquid.

The metal sinks into your neck and starts to spread, injecting little needles into the muscles. You didn't know what they wanted and it felt weird to feel it under your skin. Almost like it was a bug crawling along. You start to feel worse and shut your eyes. A weak current runs through your body and shuts everything down. The world becoming black and leaving you to the mercy of the AIs but there was no fighting against the things you couldn't touch. There was no hope to escape when you were tied up and treated how you had been. But all nerves and consciousness left your mind and body as you slip away. There was nothing inside your mind as the AIs turned it into their playground. As the AIs shifted through your every memory and emotion. They kept bring up the memory of Sandstone and the village, seeing how you had reacted so strongly to such things. But you didn't know.

\- Faithfull

 


	16. Chapter 15

It felt strange as your mind returned to you.

"Quick plug her back in!"

It didn't feel like your body. You couldn't feel anything. Everything felt way to heavy and immobile.

"We're losing her!"

You couldn't even open your eyes as your brain fought to bring you back unconscious. But you wanted to know what they had done to you.

"Get the boss in!"

You try to focus on what's around you, trying to hear anything but all your senses felt dull.

"Hurry!" But you could faintly hear something, you try to concentrate on the sound.

"Stop the procedure!"

But you couldn't, it was too much and you fall unconscious again. 

You became conscious again as you once again woke. This time with noted relief, everything felt normal but you still couldn't move or open your eyes. You open your mouth to shout but your mouth is bound shut. You try to move a finger but the information doesn't reach the limb. You start to internally panic at the helplessness you felt but it didn't help either. You tried to relax, to return to a calm mood so you could test your hearing but it wasn't working. Until your ears pick up on a noise that sounded like a squeak. You try to listen harder, to figure out what was around you but you could barely hear the voices talking as the squeak happened again. "So why didn't it work?"

"We do not know." A second voice speaks up, "It must be something to do with her brain."

"What were the problems that occurred?"

"Did you read the report?" It was the third person. So far you counted three males.

"It was never delivered to me." The first person says, "Now answer my question." The first either had to be the boss or an AI in a high position.

"She fought through the whole thing. Even with the liquid and unconscious." 

"So her mind was fighting against everything."

"It would appear so," The second says, you notice that the third had been oddly quiet. "What would you like us to do with her?" 

"Try again." The first orders, "It has worked for all the others so it will work for her. There will be no resistance."

"We are risking her life by doing this though." The third finally speaks up, probably interrupting the conversation between the other two.

"I don't care for her life, you pathetic human." The first growls out lowly, most likely addressing the third from you could make of the conversation. Honestly if the first hadn't of said human then you wouldn't have even labelled any of them as AI's. They all sounded human. And that was the danger. 

"Plug her back in and make another attempt." The first orders. "She will become one of us."

You try to fight to open your eyes and to see the world around you but it doesn't work. You felt too heavy to do anything like your limbs and organs had been covered in cement to keep still. You need to escape somehow.

"We will set everything up once again." The second says.

"I object to this boss." It was the third who finally spoke up. It seemed he was the only one to care. Maybe because he was human.

You could feel the air get colder as those words left the thirds mouth, it seemed he wasn't happy and the male whimpered in fear. "I do not care you, weak human. It will be attempted again or she and you can both die." The first growls as footsteps leave and become quiet.

"You should know by now not to speak up like that." The second says, "You are lucky you are not going through this."

A sigh is heard before their footsteps leave, following the first. You lay in silence once again. The darkness comforting you like when you were a child. Pretending that if you couldn't see then they couldn't see you. The tune is heard again haunting you. Teasing you that it was free and you weren't. Free to come and go as you please. You had no idea what the tune was. It just haunted you with its simple notes and dark tones. It was familiar. You had hummed it to Sandstone when he wanted to sleep. You hummed it to you when you felt troubled. But now it was being hummed. And you had no idea from who. Because it had been the second time where you didn't know where it came from. It was something that felt of home. Of love. But it was just a tune. A very old tune. As old as you could remember it.  And one you never wanted to forget. It was as if a small music box was being played near you. But you knew that there couldn't be because they had all been destroyed. You had seen the last one being destroyed some years ago in the Metallic City centre where a large fire was happening that burnt down anything that it could, even some of the AIs' pets.

Oh how badly you wanted to move. You wanted to leave. Escape. Runaway and hide for the rest of your life until death embraces you with your loved ones. Death. The sweet, sweet escape of death. That would be the last resort. Death will be your final result. You were slowly walking to Death, the lover everyone will see. He will come and everything will be fine. Nothing would be painful afterwards and the world would go back to how it was. You would be able to see your family. Tell them that you love them and tried as best as you could. But Death didn't want to see you just yet. He was still hoping, hanging on, for the small amount of hope left in your soul that things could get better. That things will get better. Death could wait until you were ready to see him. He was patience. And while he waits, he will watch over and protect you. Protect you from the darkness growing inside. Making sure that you felt hope at all times and that nothing could put it out. He will wait for however long it takes and will remain no matter what. Always there for an option if you wanted him to take care of your troubles when you finally can't handle it anymore.

\- Faithfull

 


	17. Chapter 16

It was weird. You were in a house. The couch was soft under your body as you sat up from your laying position. "Ah. She's awake!" You see a young woman's face pop out from a doorway to you right. A large smile on her face. "How are you, sweetie?" Her brown hair was tied up in a low ponytail with brown eyes that sparkled. 

You furrow your brows. The last time you had seen this woman was over ten years ago before she was ripped from your house. "Mum?" You question, standing up and walking over to her. "You're alive?" 

"Of course I am, sweetie." She laughs and encloses you into a tight hug. "I did promise you that I would never leave your side."

"Am I dead?" You ask, your words sounding harsh as you stare up at your mum.

"Oh, sweetie." She gasps and hugs you tighter, stroking your hair and rubbing your back. "You aren't. You're as alive as I am."

You burst into tears as her soft scent surrounds you. She was just like you remembered. She starts to hum the song, singing the lyrics to the song.

" _Ooh, my little baby._  
_I know you're weary but please go on._  
_The end is near, just please hold on._  
_I love you."_

You could fall asleep in her arms as she sung quietly and softly. 

" _My small baby._  
_Please be careful, things aren't what they seem._  
_The end is near, just please hold on._  
_I'm always here."_

You really did love her. And you honestly missed her and couldn't believe that this was real.

" _Oh my love._  
_You will be safe but double check the people close._  
_The end is near, just please hold on._  
_They will help."_

You were curious why your mum had always sang that song to you. Maybe she was teaching you the ways of what may happen.

" _My poor love._  
_Now he's too far gone, everyone is dead._  
_The end is near, just please hold on._  
_Because I love you._ "

You were getting pulled under by the dark currents of sleep. Wanting to drag you further along. But something was stopping them.

"Test One." A cold feminine voice states, "Emotions towards mother figure complete."

Your eyes snap open and you look around wildly. Looking at your mum who holds you. Her features started to shimmer and those same small tech bugs started to move and leave the room through small gaps in the walls, barely bigger then your pinkie finger nail.

The room started to lose colour, almost like you were going colour blind. The walls and floor lost the bright colour, the windows disappeared taking what seemed to be sunshine with it. You were finally left in a bland grey room, every surface looking smooth and the room empty beside for yourself.  You felt your pulse quicken as you stand up. It didn't make any sense. What was happening? Why was it happening?

"Test Two." The same voice spoke up. "Shall be run shortly."

You start to walk towards one of the walls. You needed to remain clam and think of a way out. There had to be a way. Otherwise how did you get in. Because this was not the room which they had knocked you out in. You start to tap on the walls, hoping to find a spot that sounded hollow. Hollow was good. It meant that it was either a door or you had a chance to smash through it.

"Test Two." The voice speaks up. "Reaction to danger."

Okay, now that you knew these were fake you could concentrate on just trying to escape. You didn't want to give them anymore information about yourself because who knew what they would use it for. You made your way around the room, tapping on the walls until you returned to the beginning. The tiny AI bugs were slowly creeping along the walls, changing the appearance to what you usually saw outside your hideaway home.

Actually on closer inspection, it seemed to be the area not far from it. You spin around in a circle a couple of times to pinpoint where the ruins were, finding them to be on the opposite was of where the bugs came in from. This could all be a truck to get you to show them where you live and where they could find you if you escaped them. Meaning that they had a pretty good idea on where you lived if they managed to get this close.

"Start the Test." The cold feminine voice says as something manifests in the room with you. You freeze as your blood runs cold. Those smooth sleek lines. The powerful legs. The sharp claws. But it looked different. Maybe it was the way the eyes locked onto your body. Or how you could feel it's coding running through all the situations and outcomes. Or possibly it was because of its larger size. It took up most of the room, making escape difficult. It was definitely the next upgrade for it. Maybe they managed to get the speed well enough, or maybe this was a new type of AHHD for different reasons. The ones you had ran from looked more built for chase. This one looked more for fighting and overpowering the opponent with brute force.

You weren't sure but you felt like this could be the end of you. You hated it. Your cause of death. Dying as a experiment for the AI's. Well you were certain that you weren't going down without a fight. You were far smaller then the AI, maybe you could use it as an advantage. It meant that you had to be faster and quicker at taking corners. Plus, you were thinking that maybe it wasn't to hurt you. Maybe it was to trick you into showing them where you home was. The tiny bugs changing the scene as you run until you forget that your in a room and try and get into your bunker. Well you weren't going to let it happen. You were going to run in the opposite direction, or possibly past the bunker and further onwards to places you have yet to explore. There had to be something out there.

"Begin Faze 1." A click is heard and the AI not takes a step towards you. It listens to commands. Usually only a small group can control the AI Human Hunting Dogs. The first was the AI King. That was for obvious reasons. The second was the commanders of searches and hunts. Those were the female AIs, not allowed in the hunt but could strategically help. So the voice was a female commander. That was helpful. It meant that you could possibly out maneuver the AHHD. It was a chance that you were going to take. If you manage to maneuver it into an uncomfortable position then it's limbs could possibly break if it puts enough force on it.

You look around trying to figure out how this could work. First you'd need to get behind the AI. That would a challenge in itself. But then again. By doing this you risked them upgrading this line of AI so that it is able to maneuver better in smaller spaces. That could actually be their plan. You bite the inside of your cheek as you keep a sharp eye on the Hunting Dog. It didn't move beside its first step. Maybe that was it's weakness. They always went after moving objects, so maybe if you stated still they couldn't find you. Maybe that was a way to defeat them. You had always been running when you saw them, and this time you hadn't moved. So there was a high chance of that be likely.

You hear the female AI sigh, "Test Two complete." The AI robot in front of you disappears with the tiny bots. Returning the room to its cold bland grey colour. It was empty once again beside yourself. "Testing for the day complete." You waited for a bit to see if the AI would speak again but they never did. There must be someway which they're able to see into the room but you couldn't see anyway which it would be possible. You return to sitting against the wall across from the vents where the tiny AI bugs enter and exit. Your kind travelled to what Sandstone could be doing and ways to escape the room. There had to be a way. There just had to be. You had to return to Sandstone. You needed him just as much as he needed you. And you weren't going to go back in your promise of leaving him alone. When you reach him, nothing would be able to tear the two of you apart. Nothing.

\- Faithfull


End file.
